Theft of goods in the retail environment is a serious concern. Theft cuts into the margins of a business making it more difficult for a business to compete and succeed. Electronic article surveillance (EAS) devices are frequently employed to prevent the theft of goods above a certain value. Some consumer goods are high value, but present difficulty as to how to attach an EAS device. For example, shoes are an expensive consumer item, but depending on the style, it may be difficult to attach an EAS device. This is particularly true, if it is desired to make the shoe available for fitting. In this case, despite the theft risk, effective sales and marketing still requires that consumer goods be available for a consumer to hold and review, and in some cases, try on. Therefore there is a need for an easy and effective way to protect consumer articles on display while giving a shopper the full ability to hold and inspect the product. Additionally, since large quantities of EAS devices are used, it is preferable that the devices be compact when not in use.